Sexual Harassment Alleged by Northern California Women

A sexual harassment case was filed in Northern California by a woman who once served as a director for the Montery Shelter Outreach Plus is pursuing complaints of racial discrimination and sexual harassment by her former bosses.

In a lawsuit originally filed in July, Randall claims she was the target of sexual battery and harassment by Charles Glick over a five-year period ending in 2010. She maintains that Glick, who is married, touched her inappropriately and had sexual relationships with agency clients.

Randall, who is African-American, says her complaints regarding Glick’s conduct, and the fact that she was paid less than white managers, not only went unanswered but led to her termination in 2010.

She also alleges that Tom Mancini sexually harassed her verbally and conspired with Glick to pressure her to quit.

According to the lawsuit, Randall said alleges, Glick subjected her to sexually suggestive comments and unwanted, aggressive hugging. At one point, the suit asserts, he put his finger in her blouse and tried to pull it down to see a tattoo.

Randall maintains other female employees complained of similar treatment but, like her, were afraid to report it and risk retaliation. According to the suit, Randall went to a staff therapist, who told her Glick would fire her if she lodged a formal complaint, as he had fired women in the past.

Randall filed a grievance with the board anyway in 2009. In retaliation, she claims, Glick placed her on a 90-day administrative leave as discipline for policy violations. Upon her return she was demoted to a staff position.

In the meantime, according to the lawsuit, the board did nothing in response to her grievance. She filed formal complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the state Fair Employment and Housing Administration in spring 2010.

In January 2011, the board terminated her. According to Randall’s attorney, David Anderson, the board’s justification was the same violations for which she had been earlier disciplined, transgressions such as borrowing from donated clothing. In depositions that began late last year, he said, a board member admitted she had done the same.

The lawsuit maintains that Randall was terminated in retaliation for speaking out and demanding equal pay. It asks unspecified general and punitive damages for sexual harassment and battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Anderson said the board, which Glick once tried to fire, left “a fox in the hen house” by allowing the former Army colonel unrestrained access to “women he had authority and control over both directly and indirectly.”